Airborne Lidar Bathymetry specialists, Fugro LADS Corporation, based in Adelaide, Australia have successfully completed acceptance trials of their new Fugro LADS Mk 3 Airborne Lidar Bathymetry (ALB) system and has been awarded a project by the New South Wales Government, Office of Environment and Heritage to survey parts of the NSW Central and North Coasts including the coastline between Swansea and The Entrance, Terrigal and Umina Beach and over Byron Bay, from the back of the beach to depths exceeding 30 metres offshore.
This survey will demonstrate the application of Airborne Lidar Bathymetry for the management of sensitive coastal zone regions in NSW. This is the fourth survey of this type in Australia, with similar projects successfully completed by Fugro in Victoria and Western Australia. The information collected is used for environmental management, climate change adaption and modelling the effects of storm surges and tsunamis. This survey in New South Wales will be the first to benefit from the increased efficiency of the new Fugro LADS Mk 3 system installed in a Cessna 441 aircraft.
Developed from the operationally proven laser airborne depth sounder (LADS) technology, the Fugro LADS Mk 3 system is now smaller, lighter and more efficient to operate while maintaining or improving upon the robust performance features of its predecessor systems. Fugro has successfully operated the LADS ALB technology since the late 1990s, and has pioneered the provision of contract ALB services to government agencies and industry world wide including Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Europe, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, the Caribbean and Northern America.